The invention relates generally to athletic equipment and in particular to a scorekeeping wristband. Sports wristbands such as Fitbit® are growing rapidly in popularity. These are powered by rechargeable batteries like smartphones, but provide various types of support for athletic activities such as providing stopwatch and pedometer functions, tracking the wearer's pulse rate, and serving as a conventional digital watch. Unfortunately, the designers of sports wristbands have overlooked the need to keep score in team sports, such as a pick-up basketball game. Such informal games rarely have referees or any support staff, so players must keep score; but the intensely competitive nature of many pick-up games demands accurate, reliable scorekeeping.
A search of the prior art reveals various scoring systems which have been developed. None are closely related to the present invention, but several include features which resemble those of the present invention. Each has proven to be less than satisfactory in its own way.
Hoop tracker, U.S. Pat. No. 8,845,461 (priority Sep. 1, 2010), provides a wireless shot tracking system for basketball games and practice sessions, including a programmable electronic unit that is in electrical communication with a shot detector for automatically tracking and displaying real-time shooting percentages of basketball players during basketball shooting sessions. The tracking system further provides a telescoping pole for mounting the shot detector to a basketball rim from the ground. The programmable electronic unit provides a program mode, a play mode, a review mode and a random mode to help improve the shooting skills of a basketball player from different shooting locations on a basketball court. The shot detector includes one or more vibration sensors to detect missed shots, and an activator that extends along a horizontal axis in a central region of the basketball hoop to detect made shots. The programmable electronic unit interfaces with a computer via a USB port for uploading or downloading program updates or shooting session data.
Basketball sensing apparatus, U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. US2014/0222177 (priority Nov. 9, 2012), provides an apparatus including a non-transitory computer-readable medium to direct a processor to: receive signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by a person during a basketball shooting session, receive signals indicating a location from which each made basketball shot is made, and determine and output a user cumulative score for the person for the basketball shooting session, the cumulative score being based upon the location of each made basketball shot.
Real-time wireless sensor scoring, U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. US2006/0160639 (priority Jan. 14, 2005), provides mechanisms and methods for measuring basketball shooting performance. These mechanisms and methods for measuring shooting performance make it possible for coaches and players to obtain information they need to measure levels of play, improve and maintain skills, select players to meet game situations and team requirements, and make decisions on player roles.
Multifunctional basketball game monitoring unit, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,977 (priority Jan. 5, 1989) provides a basketball game monitoring unit capable of sensing shots attempted and shots made in normal play, and shots attempted and shots made from a spot location, and further adjusting the score for the time a player remains in the air when shooting from the spot location; the unit acting to calculate, store, and display total time in play, total score, total percent of baskets made of total baskets attempted and total score shooting from the spot location for each of two backboard hoop assemblies.
Electronic score indicator, Chinese Patent No. CN201454012 (filed Apr. 22, 2009), provides an electronic score indicator, which comprises a transmitter device and a receiver device. Wireless communication modules are arranged in the transmitter device and the receiver device. The wireless communication module in the transmitter device is connected with the wireless communication module in the receiver device in a signaling way. The utility model has the advantages that the installation is simple and the carrying is convenient.
Intelligent basketball scoring system, Chinese Patent No. CN104248836 (filed Jun. 29, 2013), provides an intelligent basketball scoring system, which comprises a central processing unit, an electronic scoring plate, a plurality of cameras and an optical sensing sensor, wherein the cameras are arranged around a court, the optical sensing sensor is arranged on a basket, a microprocessor is arranged in the central processing unit, and the electronic scoring plate, the cameras and the optical sensing sensor are all electrically connected with the microprocessor. The intelligent basketball scoring system has the advantages that a 3D (three-dimensional) simulation dynamic model can be built in the microprocessor arranged in the central control device according to the collected multi-angle video information, sportsmen and a basketball on the court are shown in the 3D simulation dynamic model like 3D games, the goal state is determined according to the optical sensing sensor arranged on the basket, in addition, the goal scores are accurately determined according to the 3D simulation dynamic model, the intelligence degree is high, and the score judgment is accurate, so a referee can pay more attention to the illegality conditions on the court, and the competition fairness is improved.
Prior art inventions generally provide some sort of electronic scoring system for a basketball game or shooting session, but the components of the system are not portable and represent a substantial monetary investment. The present invention has been developed for the purpose of addressing and resolving the disadvantages of the prior art inventions. A scorekeeping wristband, which enables the user to keep score while playing the game and transmits the scoring to a smartphone application, would resolve this problem.
In addition to the prior art inventions mentioned above, there are also a few prior art inventions similar to the present invention in respect that they are also electronic scoring devices. These include: Electronic scoring device for tennis competitions, U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,565 (priority Dec. 21, 1990), Electronic tennis scoring system, U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,855 (priority Nov. 25, 1977), and Tennis umpire, U.S. 20140163990 (priority Dec. 7, 2012). These inventions however, are intended to provide a type of electronic scoring system for participants playing within the game of tennis. A key distinction between the present invention and the prior art inventions is demonstrated in their abilities to record and display points within their respective games. The game of tennis is played at a more interval-based pace; after a point is scored, whether scored from the results of a fast-paced rally or scored immediately from a powerful serve without a rally, there is always an allotted time period of rest that follows before the next serve in to play. The prior art inventions mentioned above thus enable the user to input the score of the game either auditorily, or manually by pressing a scoring button during this routine break in gameplay. The prior art inventions however, fail to disclose the necessary methods of recording game scores in real-time during a fast-paced game such as pick-up basketball. The present invention has been developed to address this issue with consensus-scoring, which enables the consensus-scoring wristband users to display inputted scores to rely upon an accurate score during gameplay.